Email may have replaced quite a few phone calls, but talking over the phone is still integral to businesses. It makes for a more personal connection between customers, employees, partners and colleagues, and provides an instant back-and-forth conversation that can&#039;t always be found in emails. Good phone etiquette for business owners and employees demonstrates that you take a professional approach to your work.

Answering

The first impression many customers will get of a business is when they call for information or directions. A tossed off "hello" or "yup" isn&#039;t what they want to hear. Answer the phone with the name of the business and a greeting along the lines of "How may I help you?" if it is a general phone line. Promptly direct callers to someone that can help and avoid putting them on hold for long periods of time. If you need to put someone on hold, ask permission to do so. This gives the caller the option to call back later.

Customer Support Calls

Many businesses have to field customer service calls. Often this is because a customer is trying to resolve a problem or issue. Not all customers are kind or cooperative over the phone. It is important to stay calm, be polite, not take anything personally and work to resolve the problem. Don&#039;t get into arguments and take time to listen to what the customer is saying. If you are not able to resolve the problem, refer the customer to someone that can.

Cell Phones

Cell phones in the workplace can be a distraction just as they are out in public. Some business owners restrict the use of cell phones for personal calls at the office. This can be part of an official business policy and is designed to keep workers on task and not disturb other employees. Cell phone policies can extend outside of individual offices and cubicles. You may request that cell phones be put away during meetings and business lunches or dinners.

Traveling

The concept of the workplace extends beyond the walls of the office or store. Many business owners and employees spend a considerable amount of time on the road. They continue to field phone calls while at airports, in the car and on trains. The use of a cell phone head set means that you can keep both hands on the wheel while taking a call. For important business calls, try to find a quiet place to talk. If you are busy or in a very noisy place, let the call go to voice mail or ask the caller if you can call them back in a few minutes.

Training Employees

Good phone etiquette needs to extend to all employees in an organization. Phone etiquette can be covered during initial and ongoing training sessions. You may consider a consistent way that phones are answered at a business. Make sure employees are familiar with this and know who to forward phone calls to within the organization. Emphasize being polite and professional. Some business phone systems are relatively complex and employees may need training to get up to speed with their use so that they can manage callers effectively.

About the Author

Amanda C. Kooser is a freelance writer with a decade of experience covering technology, business, travel and music topics for national magazines, trade journals, websites and regional publications. She has contributed to "Entrepreneur Magazine," "New Mexico Business Weekly," "Restaurant Business Magazine" and "eBay Magazine."